I still think “the lyrics really spoke to me” is an underrated gem

This is what happens when you’re told, “it’s a four-minute time slot. Period.”, yet you refuse to cut out a single note from a 6:42 song! 🔥 🔥🔥

I never get sick of people reacting to this song. This is a pure gem. In the annals of Rock history , this has to be one if the coolest performances ever.

The only standing ovation ever given on the Midnight Special...and a well deserved one at that.

Jan Akkerman is one of the most underrated guitarists in Rock history. Just an insanely proficient player.

This is one of my favorite videos of us, had to repost it individually 😂

Hi Guys, i am a 70 years old German. You Bring Back the good Times With this dutch/netherland/Holland Band. Good Job. Thumbs Up👍✌️

"That Lady", who introduced them, is Gladys Knight, of "Gladys Knight and The Pips". They had a monster hit with "Midnight Train to Georgia". You should check it out. Also; I had this Focus song on a "K tell" 8 track when I was a kid. It is still awesome.

I've shown this to young people who never react to the flute because they stop listening to the song when he yodels. Some people are dense. You guy noticed everything. You are paying attention. This is one of my all time favorites.

This is just a scream. They HAD only 5 minutes alotted them for an 8+ minute song so they speeded up rather than not play what they had planned. Thijs Van Leer just manic. Brilliant entertainment. the drummer can still drum as intensely, only saw them 4 months ago. Thijs Van Leer met with fans afterwards and was a gentleman. Signed my copy of Focus3.Along with Pierre Van Der Linden.

This is without a doubt the most fun I've had watching your reaction videos. The surprise on your faces with every turn and twist was precious. You had no idea what was going to happen next, but I did, which made the reactions so much fun. The guy on drums Pierre van der Linden inspired me to go out and buy a drum kit.

All I can say is ... the 70s ... what a time to be alive!

FOCUS! One of the very best bands, - if not THE best ever- coming from my country Netherlands, such brilliant musicians all of them!

The studio version to me allows you to hear more of the variants in the song as well as the left right dynamics. First heard this song on a K-tel album from the 70s.

I remember hearing this a kid in the 70’s wondering what did I just listen to??? Needless to say, I couldn’t get enough of it and have always thought this is a banger for sure 🤣🤣 It’s a long strange trip for sure!!!!

They were told they had 5 minutes for a 8 minute song .So they sped it up. It was only a few standing ovations on the Midnight Special.

They found a solution to squeeze a 6 minute song into a 4 minute slot. "Let's play it almost twice as fast!" You definitely have to strap yourself in for this one. You may want to hit the album version to savor the quality of the song instead of having to process all that sonic information so quickly. I'd say a sober 10, or, on your new scale S+?

Gladys is an R&B goddess! Give her respect. And, for the love of everything that does not suck, review her music!!!

I've seen this a hundred times and it never gets old. If you get a standing ovation on The Midnight Special, you've accomplished something.His facial expressions 😄

This is what happens when you are told to play a 7-minute Album song in 4 minutes.:) The organist is still going strong now and not all their songs are like this at all. "Sylvia" was a massive instrumental hit and "Love Remembered" will transport you deep into a desert of your choice if you close your eyes in a darkened room. I saw them perform this in South East London in 1973 :)

Perhaps the highest energy and happiest vibe from a rock song. Ever.

I think this is about the 10th time I have watched your reaction to this song. It is just a hoot! Was in my late teens when this was aired. Midnight Special really was special. We all had this much fun in that era about 75% of the time. Sometimes in a little bit of an altered state but most of the time not. Was just a great time for music and was what we did then. Such great times!

The guitar was insane, then the drums kicked in. I started to think if only one of these guys in the band could yodel. And I was not disappointed.

The recorded version definitely needs listened to as well! Crazy how they sped it up!

Man, now that's the way to start your morning, watching 2 drunk college dudes react to one of the greatest WTF bangers out there. Who needs coffee when I got you guys! CHEERS!

Just like Yes, this is what happens when you get classicly trained musicians blowing it right out the door. This is not representative of their work in generally but dayum its SO MUCH FUN

This group and Edgar Winter were off the chart back in their day. Love it.

I have seen this reaction many times before and never tire of it!

This was obviously a great tune to introduce the world to Focus, but there is a ton of material to actually show what really good band they were. Hocus Pocus is a great jumping in point. Great reaction guys 👌

We had so much good music in the 70's and then Focus came around and BLEW EVERYONE AWAY with Hocus Pocus. We all had the same huge smiles on our faces like you guys!

I am so glad you posted this again. I can't tell you how many times I have gone back and watched you guys reacting to this. I was there when this was released and I remember the awe at hearing it for the first time. I can relive that thru you guys. Thanks so much for all your great reactions and the great memories you guys bring up from our pasts. As always great reaction. Stay safe and Peeeeace ouuutt.

This always makes me think a metal band got so high they conjured up a leprechaun that took them to the next level.

Now you need to do a non-drunk reaction to the album version of this!

Haha, i remember this the first time around. But such a great performance and reaction :D

5:48 "You've gotta stop at some point... and he didn't stop." High praise indeed.

WONDERFUL REACTION!!! I was laughing so hard at your faces, you were just in awe of what was taking place!!!

This is one that makes you wanna listen again immediately. There's so much going on that you have to hear it multiple times just to really take it in.

This was my first time seeing this reaction! Loved it. Y’all were every bit as entertaining as Focus! 😆🙌🏻

Dudes. For real. Thank you! I've had a pretty shitty day, talking about my pretty shitty mental health with professionals and this right here, this made me laugh like a drain :) Cheered me right the fuck up! Ahhhhh, music is wonderful :)

Dutch legends with a Musician Masterclass ……. First standing ovation at the Midnight Special!!!! They had to shorten their song because there was a small timeslot they got, they refused to shorten it so they sped things up! Thijs van Leer on keyboard and flute, Pierre van der Linden on drums, Bert Ruiter on bass and the best guitarplayer ever, according to Brian May of Queen, Jan Akkerman ……. These are fantastically skilled musicians

You’ll definitely want to also listen to the album version. I remember my sister playing by the record for me when I was a kid and being blown away.

I LOVE this reaction! I've watched it multiple times and it never fails to entertain and make me laugh! You guys were hilarious!

There’s no yodeling in rock!! Back in the 70’s there was with Focus. Ahhh the good old days. Fun song.

Focus had a mellow side with their delightful instrumental Sylvia which got to No 1 in U.K.

Yay! It's time for another Andy & Alex song reaction! 😻

This has to be one of the greatest videos I have ever seen. If I’m feeling down and blue, I watch this and you guys pick me right up! Thank you!!!

That guitarist was the reference for many shredders from Europe for many years. He was doing this before Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and others. And he was playing like it was nothing. He was not holding the guitar up at an angle to hit a note, he just shredded across different scales.

S-tier performance ... epic reactions ... saving this one to share ;) Feelin' the love!! ÀÁ

"WTF?!" The most commonly used expression when viewing this great video. 😂 I still remember watching this performance when it originally aired and wondered how they were going to compress the song down for the tv show time limit, put they pulled it off in spectacular fashion. Wow! Loved you guy's reaction when this video first aired and love them even more now.

This song was played at double time, due to time constraints of the show, and the band wanted to play the entire song and not a shortened version of it. Even when played slower it's still a kick in the ass, great song...

Pretty hard to imagine these days that this song used to be played on regular AM-FM Top 40 radio ALL THE TIME!!!

I’m so glad that I went thru my teens with music like this. It puts today’s music, or at least some of it, to shame.

Epic!! S-tier performance. Love the Midnight Special.

This has to be my absolute favorite reaction from you guys!! You both really enjoyed this musical mastery 👍

Walking past the Corn Exchange in Cambridge one Saturday evening in the mid-Seventies, heard this blaring out of the doors (and walls!) Focus were playing live. Will never forget it. What an experience to hear them live.

This is solid proof they didn't do drugs in the 70s! My Era! So love it!

I was in grade 10 and playing guitar for three years when this song hit FM radio in Toronto. Never heard anything like it before, or since. There are two versions on their amazing 1972 live album "Focus Live At The Rainbow". The long version and a reprise encore version done at the speed of light that still blows my mind to this day. Focus were a Dutch band that was impossible to categorize. The Midnight Special lineup was the classic lineup. This was the Deep Purple MKII lineup for Focus. Jan Akkerman (guitar) never played Hocus Pocus the same way twice. Ever., Thijs Van Leer (yodels, whistles, flute, keys, whatever sounds), Pierre Van Der Linden (a jazz trained drummer), and Bert Ruiter (bass).

You both made me laugh this entire video! Never seen such happiness in the both of you

i looooooove your reaction so much. few reactioneers realize at first view what a masterclass in musicianship this is.

FYI, the lady intoducing them was also a vocal legend, Gladys Knight.

The story I heard was that the album version of this song was twice as long and Focus was asked to cut out half for this performance. Their response: "Nah, we'll just play it twice as fast." You should check out "Sylvia", another great banger from them.

Lead singers reaction to being asked if he had had enough speed before going on was "not nearly enough"

AMAZING FLASHBACK. Enjoyed it the second time just as much. Sober 10!

This is the fourth time I've watched this video. I can't stop laughing! Your faces are priceless. I remember feeling "that way" too when I first heard Hocus Pocus on the radio in 1971. My mind was blown. 🤯

I've never heard a les paul with such ear bleeding trebles, but is sounds great! This performance never gets old.

An absolutely ludicrous song but ridiculously entertaining. You're reactions were great.

I am 54. Knew this song my whole life. Introduced to this version a year ago from a reactor channel. I was blown away. Old dog learned new tricks.

I can't get enough of your reaction to this, guys. Your best reaction by far, IMO. The looks on your faces at each part is priceless!

Origins of Folk Metal right here!

Yeah, it’s fun and crazy, but it’s nothing like the studio version. They played super fast to fit it within the time limit they were given.

Andy’s perpetual guitar face is one of my favorite things in life.

Focus had a UK No.1 single with the delightful (and very different) instrumental track “ Sylvia”

Never saw this live version before. Loved it!

Fantastic band; their album Focus 3 is a prog masterpiece. Jan Akkerman became interested in early music later in his career; he actually plays the lute on some Focus tracks. Great players all around.

I'm going to quit my morning coffee, and simply play this video every morning. Who the Hell can sit still with this '70s gem charging the air? Your reactions were priceless!

I'll never tire of watching this, or other clips of Focus from the same period - sober or otherwise. Pure magic.

Focus was a Dutch prog-band - keyboardist, vocalist, and flutist Thijs van Leer, drummer Hans Cleuver, bassist Martijn Dresden, and guitarist Jan Akkerman. The whole band virtuosos - Jan Akkerman is likely one of the most under-rated guitarist of his day... Hocus Pocus has been covered by a lot of shred bands, can't say many do it justice though.

Always loved this song, and this live version and your newbie reactions were priceless! 😂 😂 😂

That whole thing blows me away every.single. time. A 61/2 minute or so song shoved into a 4 minute slot. Blows the mind.✌

A show of pure talent. It's just mindblowing how they got all that into one song!

Focus are worth and overdue a revisit. Perhaps the more melodic "Sylvia" next, please.

What a ride this is!!!

in the late 70's my mom brought the moving waves album back from the thrift store for 25 cents. She didn't know anything about the band but the cover looked cool so she got it for me. I listened to it and was blown away. When I tossed my vinyl collection in the garbage years ago, I saved exactly one album: this one! I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to hear this on CD; so I saved the album just in case. I still have it today.

Got the 45 back in '73. Half the song is on side A, the other half is on side B. You had to purchase the album or tape to get the full song all together.

I have watched this video hundreds of times. The musicianship is absolute top notch, in my opinion these guy blow away groups like Led Zeppelin for their skill.

1st today! Haha simple pleasures…

Thanks for a great reaction. Whenever I need a pick me up, I come back and watch. The fun you had and positive energy never fails to put a smile on my face.

This was one of my top 3 favorite reactions of yours to the most insane live performance ever. It's good to go down into the freedom shack basement and dig back into the archives for gems like this one.

Friggin amazing musicianship. You owe it to yourselves to listen to the full album which is titled Moving Waves. I grew up with this and still listen to it

I loved the "Midnight Special" never missed it. I remember this reaction and it's better the second time around!!

When my buddy Tony and I heard this, as classically trained rock musicians in California in the early 70s, the sophistication blew our minds.

Thank you so much for doing this! They’re f’ing fantastic!

This was (& likely still is) the ultimate "How-to-Piss-Off-Your-Older-Sister" Song of All Time.

Every time they did this, it was different, and the recordings they released were different too, album version, single edit, rerecording, etc. I much prefer the studio version from their album "Focus II", but I'm sure that's just because it's the one I've been listening to for over 50 years.

I’ve seen many reactions to this performance…yours is the best!

This has to be the MOST FANTASTIC review of a song I've ever seen. Your faces through the entire thing had me cracking up! Let's be clear, this is an awesome song!

What a fever dream

Put On Your Seatbelts My Music Lovin Brothers!!

Awesome reaction! I’ve never seen you both have so much enjoyment over a song!

Ten shots baby, best reaction video ever!!! I have gone back to this over and over. This is the video that turned me on to you guys, I am now and shall always be a fan of this channel!!! 😎